Phytochemical and pharmacological appraisal of the aerial parts of Lotus corniculatus L. growing in Egypt

Abstract

Lotus corniculatus L. (Fabaceae) is widely grown in Egypt. It has a great history of folkloric medicinal uses. All fractions of aerial parts of L. corniculatus L. showed significant antioxidant and immunostimulant activities and could strongly induce lymphoproliferation. However, the light petrol fraction had antifungal activity against C. neoformans with IC₅₀ value (<8 µg/mL) and exhibited strongest in-vitro antiprotozoal activity against protozoan parasites belonging to the genera Trypanosoma with IC₅₀ value (0.98 µg/mL) and Plasmodium (with 100% inhibition using a sample concentration of 15866.7 ng/mL). This is the first study of the immunostimulant and antiprotozoal activities of genus Lotus. By this approach, it was possible to isolate eight compounds (-)-7,2'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavan (vestitol) (1), kaempferol (2), kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (afzelin) (3), kaempferol 3, 7-O-α-L-dirhamnoside (kaempferitin) (4), kaempferol-3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl (1″′→2″)-β-D-galactopyranoside] (5), 3-O-[β-D-glucuronopyranosyl] soyasapogenol B (6), kaempferol-3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl (1″′→2″)-β-D-galactopyranoside]-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (7) and 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1″′→2″)-β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1″→2′)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl] soyasapogenol B (soyasaponin І) (8).

Keywords:

• Lotus corniculatus L
• soyasaponin І
• antiprotozoal
• immunostimulant

Acknowledgment

We are thankful to Dr Baharthi Avula for HRESIMS and to Alexandria University for funding.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.